


The Snake and the Badger

by UnapologeticallySlytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M, Gen, M/M, Post Wizarding War, harry potter ocs, harry potter original characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 16:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14264838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnapologeticallySlytherin/pseuds/UnapologeticallySlytherin
Summary: A slice of life story set in the Harry Potter universe, centred around a bunch of Slytherins. Primarily a boy named Mercutio Ashwood and the object of his affections, Icarus Abatelli. There will be some familiar faces along the way.





	The Snake and the Badger

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short something to test the waters. Seeing if people are interested.

Mercutio Ashwood was a proud Slytherin. His family had been in Slytherin for generations and he liked his house, the friends he’d made there. There was less prejudice between houses these days, although some of the stereotypes still remained for some classic school ground teasing and playful rivalry. 

 

Mercutio generally didn’t pay attention to it. He liked to keep himself to himself, and his friends were primarily in his own house so he didn’t have to worry about what other people thought of the company he kept. He also liked to think he didn’t care what other people thought of him at all, because Slytherins  _ didn’t  _ care. It shouldn’t matter who he spent time with but even still, if asked then he would tell you that he absolutely was not falling for a Hufflepuff. Absolutely, positively, not. Even if he had perfect hair and a cute smile and was on the Quidditch team. He’d be laughed out of the Slytherin dungeons, for all the prejudice they were meant to not have. 

 

He instead pretended to be very into, current house favourite, Bryce Summers. He was also on the Quidditch team and had perfect hair. However Mercutio didn’t know if he’d ever smiled and wasn’t entirely convinced he could read. 

 

Mercutio looked at Bryce on the opposite side of the table from him, watching him look between the textbook and the parchment and back again with utter confusion. No reading here. Mercutio sighed heavily and got up ready to head outside.

 

“Where are you going?” Jonas asked. Bryce hadn’t even noticed he’d gotten up, but good old Jonas did. Jonas being the one who had tried to set him up with Bryce multiple times in the first place, but the epitome of the dumb sports bro, Bryce, was too thick to get it.

 

“Fresh air.” Mercutio supplied. Not letting Jonas question him before he was already out the door.

 

It swung shut behind him and he sighed heavily. Jonas was seeing a Ravenclaw called Jasmine. He’d since set three of their inner circle of friends up with new partners and Mercutio was his latest project. It was like he couldn’t stand seeing his friends be single. He was content letting him think he and Bryce could be a thing as long as he didn’t find out about his real…

 

His real nothing. Nothing. Because he didn’t like that damn Hufflepuff.

 

Mercutio left, starting to walk somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t the dungeons. Maybe some fresh air is what he needed. He headed out to the grounds just in time to catch the Hufflepuff Quidditch team coming back from practice. Great. 

 

He tried to pretend like he didn’t care. Because he didn’t care. He was a Slytherin minding his own business, going for a walk and he didn’t care. But then their seeker caught his eye and smiled at him and Mercutio was going to die. He tried to look away, really he did, but that blinding smile directed at him was a bit much. 

 

He watched as he spoke to another team member, who glanced at Mercutio, and then gave him a thumbs up. Mercutio wondered what that was all about until the seeker excused himself from the team and came running over. Shit.

 

Icarus Abatelli was a Greek descended god. He was a bit shorter than Mercutio but he was also broader, more handsome and generally better structured. He also smiled at everyone. Regardless of who they were, what house they were from, and if they had said anything nasty to him. 

 

“Hello.” He said brightly. “Nice day for practice isn’t it, were you going for a walk?”

 

“Yes I-“ 

 

“Great, fancy some company?”

 

Oh Merlin, this was going to kill him. 

 

“Don’t you want to...uh, change or something?” The words came out of Mercutio’s mouth with a judgement he hadn’t intended. Icarus, to his credit, didn’t look like he took it to heart. He looked down at himself, pulling at his Quidditch robes and then looking back up at Mercutio with a sheepish grin.

 

“I suppose I don’t smell the best right now.” He said, and it was clearly a joke, but Mercutio didn’t laugh, because he couldn’t imagine Icarus smelling like anything but some form of intoxicating musk. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well I mean I could go shower and change, and if you’re still around and want to, I could meet you by the lake?”

 

Mercutio could only manage a little sound of agreement before Icarus was smiling at him again and bounding off to go and shower and change as he had said.

 

Mercutio would not be waiting for him by the lake. He knew it was mean, knew he should have somehow told him  _ something  _ rather than just leaving. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t be seen with him, couldn’t watch him smile at him or listen to what he had to say because he didn’t want to like him. If he stayed, if he let himself speak to him, get to know him...

 

He hightailed it back to the Slytherin common room. He ignored Jonas trying to ask him why he was back so soon and he marched over to Bryce, still looking over his homework.

 

“Bryce,” Mercutio started, drawing his attention. He had to get this out quickly before he changed his mind. “You’re going to Hogsmead with me this weekend, as a date.”

 

Bryce didn’t smile, but he did smirk, like he’d known this was coming all along and he was just waiting for Mercutio to crack. Mercutio hates that.

 

“Sure.” He said, simple as that. Mercutio looked back at Jonas to make sure he had seen the whole thing. He had of course, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Mercutio left for the dorm without another word.


End file.
